While most traditional sink valves use a turning motion for actuation, there have been other alternatives. One class of valves combines the hot and cold water controls into a single valve with a single handle.
This is disconcerting to many users since the conventional placement of a hot water valve on the left and a cold water valve on the right is lost. The operation itself also lacks familiarity since several standards exist.
One type is operated like a joystick with forward/back motions regulating flow while left/right motions regulate temperature. Another type must be pulled up to increase flow and twisted clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust temperature. These compound motions of a single valve are anything but ergonomic. They may look sleek, but standard dual valves are generally easier to use.
Conventional water flow cartridges with pivoting actuators, permit water to flow by pivoting on and off actuator rods, such as shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c herein.
Moreover, dual valves for a sink with linear sliding motion have been available (as in the Applicants' prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,703 of Antoniello).
However, these low profile handles are not ideal for grasping, especially with wet hands. Also, the amount of force required to convert the sliding motion to the internal rotary motion was high since little mechanical advantage was afforded.